Posted on 03/22/2007 8:51:25 PM PDT by mdittmar
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan Officials say the Afghan army and police have killed at least 28 Taliban militants in fighting in the country's south.
Reports from Helmand province put the death toll higher. The fighting was reported to have taken place at a remote location, and none of the numbers could be independently confirmed.
Defense Ministry officials say the operations used only Afghan forces with no NATO or U-S troops involved. Again, the account from the scene differs, with district officials saying NATO forces were involved.
NATO and Afghan forces launched an operation targeting Taliban militants and foreign fighters in Helmand province earlier this month. Operation Achilles has seen heavy fighting, but neither NATO or Afghan officials have reported any large-scale casualties among Taliban fighters.
U-S and NATO officials describe the region as the world's largest producer of opium.
Good news, indeed. I have a question: who's benefitting from the opium fields, and is there any chance we'll be able to get rid of that? Or is it too much a part of Afghanistan's economy?
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